The Development and Organization of the Sport of Darts

The sport of darts is unique in several ways: the equipment required to play is
reasonably inexpensive, a relatively small amount of space is required to play,
and special clothing is not required. Age, gender, size and physical
strength/endurance have almost no effect on a player's ability to do well. These
factors combine to make darts the appealing and popular game it is today.

The game of darts is hundreds of years old...rumor has it that the sport
originally began as a contest between bored warriors during respites from
battle. The soldiers hurled short throwing spears into the upturned ends of wine
barrels. As their competition progressed, a more critically marked target became
necessary, which led to the use of a slice of a tree as a target. The natural
rings of the tree proved perfect for scoring purposes, as did the radial cracks
which appeared as the wood dried out. The winter forced the sport indoors, and
shorter darts and basic indoor rules were adopted. As the game caught on, even
the nobility tried their hand: in 1530 Anne Boleyn gave Henry VIII a set of
"dartes of Biscayan fashion, richly ornamented," and even our Pilgrim
fathers are said to have played darts on the Mayflower (1620), using the butt of
a wine cask as a "board".

The game retained its military affiliations through to the establishment of
the British Empire, when soldiers' drinking clubs with their built-in dartboards
stretched over the whole of the Empire. Locals in many countries adopted the
sport, but the British players remained dominant until very recently.

The dart itself became more or less standardized as the practice of throwing
"missiles" at targets became a general pastime -- the barrel was
typically a piece of wood about 4 inches long with a metal point stuck in one
end and feathers on the other. An American patented a folded-paper flight in
1898, and the all-metal barrel was patented by an Englishman in 1906. Also
around this time, the numbering system on the dartboard was devised and gained
acceptance.

The standardization of the throwing distance took place around the same time,
although there is still more than one "standard" in use. It is said
that the throwing distance was marked by placing three crates end to end from a
brewery called Hockey & Sons (which supplied beer to the Southwest of
England). The crates were three feet long, making the distance from the line to
the board nine feet. The size of the Hockey & Sons crates was eventually
reduced to two feet, and four crates lined up to mark the distance (eight feet).
The 8-foot distance remained the standard for many years -- and still exists in
some places.
The phrase "toeing the hockey" is said to have been brought about by
the use of the Hockey & Sons crates, and the toe line is still called the
"hockey", though it is more often spelled oche, and is
pronounced without the "h".

The Development of Organized Darts

In 1908 a decision was made by the Magistrates in Leeds, England which
effectively ensured the eventual popularity of darts as a sport. At that time,
"games of chance" were illegal in public houses (pubs). A pub owner
called "Foot" Anakin was accused of operating a game of chance and
prosecuted for allowing darts at his establishment. Foot argued that darts was
not a game of chance, and obtained permission for a board to be set up in the
courtroom. It is said that Anakin threw three darts in the 20 and invited any
magistrate to do the same. The challenge was accepted, however the court
officials were unable to duplicate Foot's shot, thus proving darts was indeed a
game of skill and not of chance; the case was dismissed. The years afterward saw
the progression of the game in British public houses; by World War II the
majority of pubs had dartboards, and teams and matches with other pubs were
arranged on a regular basis.

The first major step towards making darts the international game it is today
occurred when The News of the World, a British Sunday newspaper,
instituted its championship in 1927. Originally confined to the London area, the
event nevertheless drew large numbers of participants, and due to its success
became a national competition after World War I. This event grew into one of the
most prestigious and sought-after international titles in the sport, but was
suspended in 1990. It returned in 1997, but is now restricted to players in the
UK.

Major credit for promotion of the game goes to The News of the World
and also to the National Darts Association of Great Britain (NDA), formed in
1954, for their contributions in creating both an international forum for the
sport, and establishing basic acceptable rules of play.

The NDA drew together various county and London groupings, and began holding
English national competitions in 1957. The
British Darts Organisation (BDO) was formed in 1973 by Olly Croft, and
coordinated the strengths of the various county associations and the development
of various county championships, with the organization of international events
following soon after. The BDO's primary focus at that time was acquiring
sponsors and running special events for television. In 1978 the BDO organized
the Embassy World Professional Championships -- one of the biggest events in
darts.

In 1976 the BDO was a major force in setting up the World
Darts Federation (WDF), which was formed by representatives from 15
countries to govern and promote the sport of darts on an international basis.
Among the first decisions of the WDF were the recommendation of a standard
throwing distance for all countries, and the inauguration of the World Cup, an
international event held every two years since 1977 in which top players compete
for their respective countries. Today the WDF is comprised of the national darts
organizing body from each of 49 member countries, representing six continents.
Other tournaments have been established (also on a bi-annual basis) to further
promote the sport:
The Asia Cup, open to WDF member nations in Asia
The Europe Cup, open to European nations
The Pacific Cup, open to Pacific Rim nations (which includes the US)
The WDF maintains an individual ranking system for members based on
participation in more than 30 regional, national, and world events staged by the
organization itself and its member organizations.

The American Darts Organization
was formed in 1976 under the guidance of Tom Fleetwood, and is the only
governing body of darts in the United States recognized by the WDF (1977). The
Organization was chartered with 30 local member clubs, representing
approximately 7,500 players. Today, more than 300 associations, representing
some 75,000 players in all 50 states, Guam and Puerto Rico, are affiliated with
the ADO. The ADO is a "grassroots" organization, meaning that every
player has the opportunity to compete to represent the US through the ADO
Playoff Program. Local winners advance to the Regional level, and Regional
winners advance to National competition. National winners comprise the ADO
Pacific Cup, All-Star and World Masters teams. Almost 300 tournaments a year are
sanctioned by the ADO. Players earn Championship Points by placing in singles
events at these tournaments, and the ADO keeps a national
ranking system based on these point totals, as well as naming a Men's and
Ladies' National Champion at the end of each year.